[HN Gopher] If it ain't broke: Share your oldest working gadgets
___________________________________________________________________
If it ain't broke: Share your oldest working gadgets
Author : Kaibeezy
Score : 53 points
Date : 2020-06-09 07:38 UTC (1 days ago)
(HTM) web link (www.bbc.co.uk)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.bbc.co.uk)
| frompdx wrote:
| I like old gadgets and collect them to have and to use.
|
| - Nikon LS-IV 35mm film scanner.
|
| - 2007 MacBook running OSX 10.4 because 10.4 is the last version
| to support Classic Environment which I need to use Nikon Scan for
| mac. Works great but I can't access the internet securely so I
| don't connect it to a network.
|
| - Gameboy Pocket with Pokemon Red along with the Prima strategy
| guide.
|
| - Sony Play Station. The first one.
|
| - Xbox. The first one. No controllers though.
|
| - A few cameras made between 1950 and 1990 that I use regularly.
| All work well. Before smart phones, digital cameras and PCs were
| the original obsolete the day you bought it items. I've never
| cared for the churn and prefer film for this reason.
|
| - An adding machine from the 1920s. Probably my oldest gadget at
| the moment.
| aasarava wrote:
| Where are you sourcing your film from, and are you developing
| on your own in a darkroom or sending it out to a lab?
| frompdx wrote:
| > Where are you sourcing your film from
|
| Frequently, Amazon. I also buy from a local shop but Amazon
| usually has better prices as much as it pains me. The film I
| shoot is usually 400TX or HP5 for B&W. For color I usually
| shoot Ektar 100 or Porta. I shoot both 35mm and 120 format
| film.
|
| > and are you developing on your own in a darkroom or sending
| it out to a lab
|
| Lately I use a local lab.
|
| I also have all of the equipment to develop and print B&W
| film. My plan is to build complete darkroom in my basement.
| The pandemic has put my plans on hold for the time being
| though.
| Lammy wrote:
| Forgive my pedantry, but do you have a PowerBook or iBook? IIRC
| the Classic Environment was never supported on Intel, even in
| Tiger on Intel.
|
| Also, have you tried VueScan? It supports my similarly-ancient
| Microtek film scanner on modern Win/Mac/Linux computers:
| https://www.hamrick.com/
| mindracer wrote:
| I've still got my iRiver H140 which is about 18 years old
| matthewfelgate wrote:
| https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/
| idoh wrote:
| Here's the Twitter thread (that this BBC article basically copy /
| pastes from): https://twitter.com/zsk/status/1269960000203563009
| ciarannolan wrote:
| The reporter from the BBC who started that Twitter thread is
| also the one who published the article.
|
| https://twitter.com/zsk/status/1269968388497047553
| joezydeco wrote:
| My daily news source is an AM station playing on an Admiral 802
| radio from 1959.
|
| http://web.eecs.umich.edu/~srs/Antiques/templ.php?pid=981&co...
|
| 8 transistors! It's a family heirloom (grandpa built these at the
| Admiral factory in Chicago). I wouldn't let it sit silent, ever.
| rasz wrote:
| Nintendo game and watch Octopus. Almost 20 year old Miele vacuum
| cleaner, still feels like brand new. ~1980 Singer sewing machine,
| build like a tank.
| pascalxus wrote:
| I have a digital alarm clock from about 20 years ago. i think
| it's JVC. it still works, even though I stepped on it about 5
| years ago, once.
|
| Amazingly, it's still on the original battery!!!!
| joefourier wrote:
| My 1984 IBM Model M is still a joy to type on. Every key still
| works fine, and I wouldn't trade it for any keyboard made in the
| last 20 years even if new ones come in colours other than beige
| or weigh less than 10 pounds.
| na85 wrote:
| I bought two Unicomp Model M keyboards and they've been great.
|
| Do you have a USB adaptor for yours?
| marcoperaza wrote:
| I have a Unicomp but I'm disappointed that the resistance
| varies a lot from key to key. Maybe I got a bad unit?
| GlenTheMachine wrote:
| Casio CM-100 computer math calculator, circa 1984. It has sat
| beside my keyboard as I learned BASIC on a Commodore 64... and
| earned a BS in CS on a NeXT workstation... and as I wrote my
| doctoral dissertation... and as I wrote inverse kinematics code
| for a space robot.
| [deleted]
| Kaibeezy wrote:
| Sansui G-8700DB 160 watt receiver from the late 70s. Not the
| oldest, but a major favorite. I got it at a thrift store in the
| early 00s. Absolute unit, probably 25 kilos. The connectors are
| all on the side because the heat sink takes up the whole rear
| panel. Every switch, circuit and light bulb works perfectly.
|
| It's hooked up to my computer via a nothing-fancy DAC and out to
| a pair of tidy Linn bookshelf speakers, probably 80s vintage. If
| this office over the garage is rockin', don't bother knockin'.
|
| Here's a photo (not my one, but the same) - https://external-
| preview.redd.it/LjSphe7ctrkecpkmC_r97bMzzgg...
| Simulacra wrote:
| A 1958 Hermes Rocket. Are use it all the time to type letters and
| thank you notes
| LargoLasskhyfv wrote:
| Exactly this Marquardt Mini Ergo
|
| [1] http://xahlee.info/kbd/marquardt_mini_ergo_keyboard.html
|
| meanwhile modded with a ridiculously overpowered
| microcrontroller, different switches and layout to get rid of the
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_connector to PS/2 to USB
| _Adaptecmessness_
|
| [2] https://i.postimg.cc/tCCM3L3N/ZOMG-Adaptecmessness.jpg
|
| Assorted T6o/61Ps with LED-Backlight mods and no panels under
| 1600x1200, and various firmware-mods, used as _terminals_ ,
| mostly :-)
| floren wrote:
| Montgomery Ward shortwave radio from the 30s, a Philco AM radio
| from the 40s, and a handful of other tube radios from the 50s and
| 60s.
|
| I've got a Kenwood TS-520 ham radio from the 70s which I use
| occasionally.
|
| Also a first-gen IBM Selectric typewriter, which would place it
| somewhere between 1961 and 1971.
|
| The AT&T desk phone sitting next to me has a "Warranty expires
| 12/87" sticker on the bottom.
|
| All this old stuff is seriously built to last, and most of the
| radios either came with schematics or have a schematic glued to
| the inside of the case.
| mellosouls wrote:
| Casio scientific calculator from the 80s that (the last time I
| checked, I stumble on it once a year or so) still turns on and
| works _with the original battery_.
| justinsaccount wrote:
| I have a Logitech usb optical mouse from 1999 or so..
|
| One of these:
|
| https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c1/c6/d6/c1c6d6c43a9bfd3dd452...
|
| Works ok. Was still using it a few months ago, but the wheel has
| started to stick a little in one direction, so I replaced it and
| now use it as a floater.
| psychomugs wrote:
| Leica M2, serial 1144389 dates it back to 1966.
| Dalrymple wrote:
| My HP Scanjet IIcx scanner is about 30 years old and still works
| fine. SCSI interface.
|
| I did have to replace the scanner top with a white piece of solid
| plastic. The original top was very thin plastic veneer bonded
| onto a foam rubber base which of course by now has self-
| destructed.
|
| How did HPE and HP fall from the top of the industry in respect
| to the bottom over those 30 years?
| panpanna wrote:
| As tech companies get bigger, older and stop innovating, the
| management team changes from engineers and entrepreneurs to
| bean counters.
| tonyedgecombe wrote:
| My Bosch hammer drill will be 30 years old in September, still
| going strong although there is a slight wobble on the chuck.
|
| Mostly though I don't keep old stuff kicking around, if I get a
| new computer for instance then the old one goes on eBay straight
| away.
| abhgh wrote:
| I have a vintage fx-82 calculator [1] that still works. My father
| bought it when he started working after his engineering, which
| was passed on to me for my engineering, which was then passed on
| to my brother for his engineering - which ended 12 yr ago. Last
| checked the thing a few months ago, it works barring a few
| problematic keypresses. I am nearly convinced it's alien
| technology at this point.
|
| [1] not mine, but this model: https://www.ebay.com/i/123734880177
| Psychlist wrote:
| Panasonic 12V battery drill from the days when NiMH batteries
| were a new exciting upgrade! Form factor the same and I could use
| the new batteries in my old drill. But when that drill started to
| fail I cut the handle/battery mount off to use in my bike lights
| (I still have that part... does that count?)
|
| On that note: remember when rechargeable bike lights took 10-12
| hours to charge? Using drill batteries with a 1 hour charge was
| revolutionary, especially for overnight bike races.
| jakedata wrote:
| I have a 1914 Victrola phonograph that I occasionally amuse the
| kids with. What amuses me is that the windup clockwork record
| player is a century older than my iPhone but arguably a
| technological ancestor. Also, no DRM, I can play century old
| audio tracks from any manufacturer with the turn of a crank.
| donohoe wrote:
| Mac Colour Classic made in 1994. Still has HyperCard working last
| time I checked.
|
| If anyone can tell me how to get Dark Castle running on it, I'd
| be grateful
| tibbydudeza wrote:
| iPhone 7 used by my daughter since she broke her P30.
|
| 2014 vintage Latitude E6440 work laptop that simply refuses to
| die and since I am a SAP developer on ECC 6 there is no
| justification for giving me anything more modern.
| sitkack wrote:
| TI calculator from 1991 that I still use weekly and a Makita
| cordless drill (NiCDs are tired) from 1995. Before we moved my
| car was a 1988 Toyota.
| whycome wrote:
| Yeah, but did you move in 1989?
| xerox13ster wrote:
| My trusty Zune HD is still kicking!
| https://imgur.com/gallery/fq7qaHI
| brundolf wrote:
| My 2nd gen Zune got stolen in 2011 :( I loved that thing. Of
| course by that point I was using my iPhone for a lot of stuff,
| but it was just such a lovely piece of hardware I'd probably
| still be using it occasionally if I had it.
| dr_kiszonka wrote:
| Are those teeth marks at the bottom?
| xerox13ster wrote:
| Yes, if you read in the imgur album I state that an ex's dog
| chewed on it and it has been like that for the past 5 years!
| generj wrote:
| The Zune HD must be the zenith of dedicated music players.
| beerandt wrote:
| I still haven't found earbuds that I liked as much as the
| ones that came with my Zune. I abused those things for almost
| a decade before they gave out.
| Kaibeezy wrote:
| https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Zune-Premium-Original-
| Headp...
| xerox13ster wrote:
| I literally did abuse them for a decade, and one ear is
| still functional!
| agentwiggles wrote:
| I loved my Zune HD, it had one of the best interfaces for
| dealing with podcasts that was available at the time. Tons of
| capacity, great on device playlist and queue management too.
| I love having access to tons of music via Spotify, but I also
| miss the days of having room for just 5-10 albums, and having
| to really curate my music collection. I got embarrassingly
| familiar with Green Day as an 8th grader with only a 512MB
| Sandisk to work with. And though the Zune had plenty more
| capacity, that didn't stop me from listening to BTBAM's
| Colors on repeat as I walked around campus a few years later.
| Good times.
| Svperstar wrote:
| I recently replaced my 14 year old iPod Nano 2nd gen.
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md9pY-PLQU
| thinnerlizzy wrote:
| A 1960 Fisher X-1000 stereo amplifier that pumps out about 50
| wpc, high for a tube amplifier. I found it on the street about 10
| years ago, restored it, made a new brass faceplate, and it sounds
| just amazing.
| dstroot wrote:
| Fisher from that era is great stuff! That model goes for about
| $2k today. https://picclick.com/Rarest-FISHER-X-1000-TUBE-
| INTEGRATED-ST...
| forgotmypw17 wrote:
| This is why I go out of my way to make my websites compatible as
| far back as I can, including Mosaic, Netscape, and IE.
|
| I myself have several old iOS devices, which I still enjoy using.
| Two of them belonged to my grandmother, and I like to leave them
| just the way they are, no OS upgrades.
|
| I also used to have an iPhone which was jailbroken, and I didn't
| want to deal with the process of upgrading the OS.
| awiesenhofer wrote:
| * Atari Portfolio from 1989, still runs great and has some ok
| games. Extention cards are flaking out though and i should get
| myself a serial or parallel adapter. Never any luck with an ATM
| either ;)
|
| * original Gameboy from around the same time, could use a
| refurbishment or at least a good scrub. And some more/new games.
|
| * iMac G4, The Lamp, works perfectly but I don't really know what
| to do with it. Still, even powered off a thing of beauty so thats
| ok.
| slim wrote:
| I got that Terminator 2 reference
| Zanni wrote:
| I've got a radiometer which I bought 50 years ago in second
| grade. It's my single longest-term possession. The bulb is
| encased in a cube of clear resin, which is probably the only
| reason it's survived this long.
| jjav wrote:
| My daily use phone is a Motorola Razr from 2005. Works great and
| actually fits in a pocket.
| Ftuuky wrote:
| My SNES (from when it was launched in Europe around 1992 iirc)
| still works, controllers and all.
| MrFoof wrote:
| * My HP LaserJet 1200 will turn 21 in a few months. Might have
| another 30 years in it.
|
| * My NES is 33 years old this month. I've replaced the 72-pin
| connector, but that's it. Everything on it could be replaced, so
| it'll last as long as I want.
|
| * I've a Panasonic flip clock from the very early 1980s. Still
| works great after carefully refurbishing it. Radio quality is
| still quite good.
|
| * My father's trains I think he bought in West Germany in the
| late 1960s. The locomotive is still on its original motor, and
| may still be when I pass in 50 years.
|
| -----
|
| I'm sure my father's old HP calculators are still working. He
| bought them in the 70s, but sold them to collectors in tight
| times in the mid 2000s.
| beckler wrote:
| I have an super old Toshiba Satellite laptop that runs Windows
| 95!
| bacon_waffle wrote:
| Masport push reel mower, would guess somewhere between 1930s and
| 1960s. It's the most pleasant mower to use, and all it cost was
| an evening cleaning it up plus an annual visit to the sharpeners.
|
| If electricity is a prerequisite: 1966 Bulova Accutron 214 that I
| wear most days.
| ggambetta wrote:
| I still have my ZX Spectrum+, released in 1984, making it 36
| years old. I don't use it daily, but last time I checked, it
| worked fine. There's a simple mod to get composite video out, so
| it can be plugged into a modern TV.
| cosmodisk wrote:
| _Thinkpad T40. I bought it used about 9 years ago,I think it 's
| about at least 15 years old. Still runs as the day it was
| made.And the keyboard! They don't make them so comfy anymore. _
| Body thermometer with mercury. It's got to be at least 30 years
| old.
| zwieback wrote:
| Selmer Mark VI tenor from the 60s. Needs some playability
| adjustment, though.
|
| Also ASKO washer from the 90s, still in heavy use. The mechanical
| computer driving the programs is a marvel.
| aasarava wrote:
| Apple //c from 1984 (with the original receipt!) The composite
| video output means I can plug it right into my 50" tv without any
| special hardware and everything looks great.
|
| I removed the disk drive cable from the motherboard and plugged a
| floppy EMU in, and now my kids play Lemonade Stand, Dig Dug,
| Oregon Trail, Carmen San Diego, and dozens of other classic
| games. https://www.bigmessowires.com/floppy-emu/
| krallja wrote:
| I just got a Floppy EMU for my Macintosh SE, and it's working
| great! Have been playing many memorable games from my childhood
| with the next generation of computer users.
| dugditches wrote:
| Interesting that 'modern' gadgets with few moving parts and for
| the most part no maintenance. And how long they'll last sitting
| tucked away in drawers if nothing fouls. Though maybe one day
| it'll be hard to actually find AA batteries.
|
| Just before electricity became 'the norm' how complex and
| intricate things were. Especially with how 'rugged' they were in
| operation and use. https://youtu.be/52FK1v6lErQ?t=32
|
| Or how intricate and masterful things needed to be to accomplish
| 'simple' things.
|
| >The "storage capacity" of the automaton, needed to store seven
| images within the machine, can be calculated as 299040 points
| (almost 300 kilobits).
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZiH7oF3OMM
| mthoms wrote:
| * 2nd Generation iPod (firewire, 5GB)
|
| * Handspring Treo PDA
|
| * Nintendo NES
|
| * iPod Nano 1st Gen
| jpitz wrote:
| Does a Martin guitar from the 1940s count?
___________________________________________________________________
(page generated 2020-06-10 23:00 UTC)